Body@Work

Happy@Work

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Unipolar depressive disorders are highly prevalent, have high incidence, and have considerable impact on quality of life in patients and their relatives. Moreover, depressive disorders are linked with increased mortality rates, high levels of service use and huge economic costs. Prevention of depression is in the interests of businesses because the pay about 75% of the total economic costs of depression. These costs exist of absenteeism from work and loss of work productivity (presenteeism). We therefore developed a guided-self help internet-based intervention for employees with depressive symptoms. Participants follow a six weekly lessons with guidance from a coach.   

 

PERIOD

2010-2014

 

FUNDING

EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research

 

INVESTIGATORS

Anna S. Geraedts, MSc ^{1, 2}

Annemieke van Straten, PhD ^1,2

Noortje Wiezer, PhD ^{2, 3}

Prof.  Willem van Mechelen, PhD ^{2, 4}

Prof.  Pim Cuijpers, PhD ^{1, 2} 

 

1 Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University and VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 Body@Work, Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU/VUmc

3 TNO Quality of Life, Department of Physical Activity and Health, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
4 Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

OBJECTIVES

To develop a guided-self help internet-based intervention for employees with depressive symptoms and to test the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of it.

 

METHODS

Employees (n=200) with depressive symptoms from a large company in the Netherlands will be recruited and randomized to the intervention group or a care as usual group. Inclusion criteria are a score of 16 or higher on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) and not being absent from work. The intervention is based on different evidence based interventions which have been shown to be effective in treating depressive and stress symptoms. It contains six weekly lessons. During the intervention participants receive weekly support from a coach via the website. Data are collected at baseline and at 8 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after baseline. Primary outcome variable is depressive symptoms as measured by the CES-D. Secondary outcome variables are absenteeism/presenteeism, health care use, anxiety symptoms, burnout symptoms, quality of life and locus of control.

 

RESULTS

First results expected in 2012.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Not yet available